Agriculture

Wednesday, July 13th 2011 - 10:16 UTC
US loosing Colombian market share to Mercosur claim farmers

United States industry and agriculture lobbies are again advocating forcefully before Congress on the pending free trade agreement with Colombia claiming the delay is costing market share to a more aggressive Mercosur.
Monday, July 11th 2011 - 18:17 UTC
“Sweet” sugar futures until the northern hemisphere crop is harvested

Sugar supplies will remain limited until the 2012-13 harvest begins in top producer Brazil, broker FCStone do Brasil said citing futures traded in New York. The rise in sugar price helped push the FAO Food Price Index to 234 points in June, which is 39% higher than a year ago.
Saturday, July 9th 2011 - 07:10 UTC
Brazil drop in production has sugar prices soaring: 73% in last twelve months

Sugar jumped the most since October after an industry group said output would decline in Brazil, the world’s biggest grower. Production in the Centre South, Brazil’s largest growing area, may drop by as much as 1 million metrics in the current season compared with a year earlier, Unica said on Friday.
Friday, July 8th 2011 - 02:54 UTC
Brussels funds programs to promote consumption of EU agricultural produce

The European Commission approved this week 26 programs in 13 Member States to provide information and promote agricultural products in the European Union. Total budget for the programs, which will run for between one and three years, is €75.1 million, of which the EU will contribute €37.6 million (50%).
Thursday, July 7th 2011 - 16:24 UTC
“Sweet” sugar hikes FAO Food Price Index in June to 39% above a year ago

United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO, Food Price Index rose one percent to 234 points in June 2011 – 39% higher than in June 2010 but four percent below its all-time high of 238 points in February of this year.
Wednesday, July 6th 2011 - 15:35 UTC
Brazil 2010/11 soy crop larger than estimated but strong Real eats into profits

Brazil's 2010-11 soy crop was larger than previously estimated, as higher productivity and a greater area of land planted with the oilseed resulted in record output, agricultural consultancy Celeres reported this week.
Tuesday, July 5th 2011 - 06:14 UTC
Argentina announces aid for areas suffering from the volcanic ash cloud

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner announced a package of measures to mitigate the effects of ash spewing from Chile's Puyehue volcano that has upended air travel, tourism and farming in Patagonia.
Monday, July 4th 2011 - 19:18 UTC
EU/Mercosur launch ‘timid’ sixth round of trade negotiations in Brussels

Mercosur/European sixth round of negotiations to reach a wide ranging cooperation and trade agreement took off Monday in Brussels, but rather timidly with no immediate prospects of an exchange of proposals for market access.
Friday, July 1st 2011 - 15:46 UTC
Expected bumper crop in US makes corn prices suffer its biggest fall in 15 years

The price of corn suffered its biggest fall for 15 years on Thursday, prompting speculation that the high cost of food may start to ease. Corn prices dropped 10% after a US Department of Agriculture report that farmers are sowing unexpectedly large amounts of the grain.
Friday, July 1st 2011 - 06:46 UTC
Desforestation in Brazil doubles, in anticipation of an amnesty for illegal logging

Deforestation rates in the Brazilian Amazon, the world’s biggest rain forest, more than doubled last month as farmers become more confident they’ll be granted amnesty for illegal logging.